I Blog, Therefore I Am.

:: FAMILY'S DAY OUT ::

Due to my finger accident, my activities became very limited. I have to drag myself each morning to work (rare days if I may say) and my bed practically became my bestfriend. Even tinkering in my PC is quite becoming a tedious task these days. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Haaay! Anyway, I kindda postponed all activities, get-together, gimmicks and other little shindigs with my friends since the freakin' bandaged hand is soooo annoying. To somehow give life to my ho-hum existence in the past few days, my mom dragged me and the entire family to Alabang last Saturday for some good ol' shopping. She bought her south seas (wooohhhooo! something new to borrow!) while I bought some 'fashion accessories' (read: those nasty earrings) which I'm afraid will become so-so when I finally get back on track (Aileen! I have to use it somehow, right?! Aww!).


Nasty-nice-kick-ass loops! I lurvvvve it!
We went to Festival Mall to check out the pearls haven downstairs. It's such a goody to know that they are now selling those ultra-cool fashion trinkets in multitudes aside from the pearlies. I even bought Gabbie three fancy bracelets which she now proudly wear wherever she go. We had dinner at some Jap resto which used to be good but seem to love their oyster sauce and sesame oil these days. I have to order another batch of California Makis so I can finally...breathe! Wheew!

A family's day out is not compelete without dropping by at Petron Mega, SLEX. Bought another gadget mag (ugh! its all blah, blah, blah), some lollipops for Gabbie and popping candies for her dad (sheesh, my brother never grew up!). We went to Starbucks, they all had coffee, drinks and eclairs while I read my mag. I took some sip of mom's Passion Iced Tea (with Lemonade) that tastes really really bad. Remember those cough syrup when we were kids? Same after taste! Eww!


My sis-in-law Chay, Gabbie & Me (see my bandaged right hand?)
~
Gabbie and her WOW bracelets
~
Mom and Gabbie @ Starbucks Petron Mega
~
Papa and her "new" favorite "daw"
While at Starbucks, I saw those blue tumblers/water bottle again. I'm tempted to buy since I like to pair it with my bigger-ala-dextrose water canteen that Bugs (there! I finally said who it was from!) gave me last year. Nagdalawang isip ako since Patty told me that I can buy one from SM at only P90 (replica/imitation though)! Geeez!

Oh! We were supposed to watch Shrek 2 but Papa is the impatient-not- the- movie going type so we ended not watching. Too bad since I was really looking forward to it. It's the favorite topic of practically all bloggers these days. Hah!


My niece Gabbie with her favorite Ronald McD! Gawd, she's in tube - fashionista at two!

:: T3 & HARRY ::


T3 is here!
I've been dying to post this for days! Finally! Guess what's my new favorite mag? T3 Philippines! Move over Gadgets and Stuff, this is THE ONE! Ever since I saw and bought the mag last weekend, I've been hooked, impressed and bewildered. So many nice and informative reviews on techie stuffs. They give unbiased and fair opinion on their features. Here are some stuff that I truly want with my own comment! Haha!


iPOD Mini. I Want. I Want!

iPOD MINI
> It's compact, it's lightweight, its trendy and the 4GB (or 1,000 songs) capacity is just right for me
> It matches so so well with my iTunes
> This is something that I can "somewhat afford in the future" (hah! wishful thinking!) without breaking into tears (or breaking into a bank). The pegged price in the US is $249.00 (P13,944) but the Mac Store in Greenbelt told me that they will sell it at P16,000 (what?!?!) in July. I love this baby even if people kept on telling me that $50.00 more can get me an iPod with a whooping 15gb like Cols. Hah! I can't spare $300 for an MP3 and I don't need additional 11gb worth of songs.
> Check out the iPod Mini and its refreshing colors here.

T3's Verdict: The iPod Mini is the best and the simplest no-nonsense digital music player around. It's a bit pricey but well worth it. It has all the feature of the older iPod but it makes a far superior fashion statement with its aluminum case and choice of five colors.

SONY ERICSSON
I. WANT. - the features, the sleek-ala-iPod design
I. DON'T. WANT. - the unforgivable price - P23,000 and lack of memory (it only got 2mb of internal memory! golly molly crap!)


Sony (eww!) Ericsson T630?! Hmmm? I'll think about this.1111


HARRY POTTER & THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
Don't disappoint me Warner Brothers!!! Don't mess this one. This is by far the best Harry Potter book ever (and so many people agrees with me!). It will be shown on the 2nd of June and I can hardly wait. Me and my family are going to watch it @ ATC and I already reserved 6 movie tickets! Wooohhhoo! Even Little Gabbie is joining us. I remember the first two movies and I recall watching the 1st one on a pirated VCD at home (me and my brother were so atat) then I watched it again with Olen, Pats, Bim and R2 at Greenbelt 1. I watched the second one at Powerplant with Kat and Jako. I remember a lot of string pulling to get tickets on the first day with my tito who's a honcho at Powerplant. I watched it again at Greenbelt with the same bunch and I even recall Raymond and his famous umbrella story! Harhar!

Ohhhhh Sirius Black can't wait to see you!

:: DELETED THOUGHTS ::

The only letdown of W.BLOGGAR (the lazy tool to blogging) --- it doesn't post or save automatically - unlike the actual create/edit post of Blogger. Hay! I've written so many things (and thoughts) this morning and they are now gone since I did something stupid to my other blog and it somehow replaced the original post intended for THIS blog site. Oh well. There's always tomorrow.

P.S.
Aileen! I already downloaded Gypsee Pro. SOS! How do I delay the transition? Thanks!

:: NEVER APOLOGIZE ::

I got this from an e-mail from one of my friendsters. Truly nice! Thanks! : )

1. Never apologize for pursuing what makes you happy. Even if you need to quit your job, transfer schools, or move across country, always do what you really want.
>>> Resigning is F-U-N! Resigning made me HAPPY! There!!!

2. Never apologize for using proper English. Keeping it real doesn't mean speaking Ebonics.
>>> Aileen! You have a freakin' point for seeking for the Adonis with flawless grammar!

3. Never apologize for giving your best in a relationship that just didn't work out.

4. Never apologize for being successful. Only haters want to keep you at their level.

5. Never apologize for crying. Wear waterproof mascara and express yourself.

6. Never apologize for ten pounds you need to lose. People who truly care about you will accept you as you are.

7. Never apologize for being frugal. Just because you save your money instead of blowing it on the latest fashion emergency doesn't mean you're cheap.

8. Don't apologize for being a single mom. Babies are a blessing.
>>> I have one friend who's a great example of this! Hats off to you, She!

9. Never apologize for treating yourself to something special. Sometimes you have to show yourself some appreciation.
>>> Whoa! Excuses for those Thai massages and expensive nail pedicures! :)

10. Never apologize for leaving an abusive relationship. Your safety should always be a priority.

11. Never apologize for keeping the ring even if wedding bells won't chime.
>>> Reminds me of Rachel at the pilot episode of Friends.

12. Never apologize for setting high standards in a relationship. You know what you can tolerate and what simply gets on your nerves.

13. Never apologize for saying NO.

14. Never apologize for asking for what you want in bed. If you don't, then who will?

15. Never apologize for wearing a weave. You bought it so it's yours.

16. Never apologize to your new friends about old friends. There's a reason she's been your girl from day one.

17. Never apologize for ordering dessert. Or more than one dessert.

18. Never apologize for dating outside your race. Just because you found Mr. Right across the color line doesn't mean you don't love your brothas.

19 . Never apologize for not knowing how to cook. Even if you can't burn like Grandma you know how to order good take out.

20 . Never apologize for your taste in clothes. It's your style.

21 . Never apologize for changing your mind
>> Now I have an EXCUSE for being "blurry" (read: malabo) Harhar!

22 . Never apologize for exercising your right to choose. It's your body and your right.
>> Heck, yeah! I voted for GMA! Live with it people!

23. Never apologize for making more money than your man, you work hard and you deserve to get paid.

24. Never apologize for being you! "KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD"

:: CONGO ONCE AGAIN ::

I went to work this morning and was greeted by empty seats at the Corp Comm area (Where are the people in the neighborhood?! Even Tin and Ces are in absentia). Then it dawned on me that Lee and Coleen are no longer in the office since they are already resigned (and are still probably in deep slumber at 7:30 in the morning). I asked one of the girls where is She, Kaye and Dans and I was told that they are on-leave! Oh! Bummer! So...who's there to greet me?! None other than Ms. Sexy, the Fruit and Ervin! Wow! Nice welcome committee! Good thing Bim saved me and asked about our meeting with the database supplier in the afternoon.

A few minutes after, here comes Dans with her usual dedma look amidst the sea unwanted elements in the office. So nice to see Gf-Mare! Apparently, she and She were in the clinic filing their SLs and stuff! *sigh of relief* How I miss the girls and the Mightys! Such nice reunion! Olen came around 9am to burn, burn and burn. So many news, chikas, anticipation for the result of the evaluation and the like. I had a taste of Choco Butternut of Dunkin Donuts during break (Hey Reg! Have you heard? There's already a Dunkin' booth at the cafe!) and "Beef Surprise" during lunch --- eww I'm back! Cafeteria nightmare strikes again!

I'm posting here one of Dansel's message to us that clearly reflects what I am feeling. Hope you don't mind, gf!

"u know what guys, reality hit hard when i came in to work last friday morning... there wasn't any mighty in sight! although they eventually came in a little later, i was thinking, what life would be like after every single mighty has gone their own way. and it made me... sad."

Paul and Lee went to the office to get their clearances and they made yaya to Alabang. The infamous evaluation finally came through for some of us or the exact term maybe "to some of them"...so I guess congratulations are in order. : )




To celebrate, pour our troubles or simply hang-out, we went to Gerry's Grill for dinner at ATC and Congo (as usual) for dinks. Oh!!! How I miss the Mightys!

Pics to follow...

:: HO-HUM ::

It's the WEEKEND! Well, almost since it's Friday already. I'm planning to go to work today, though I am not sure if I really really can. I slept so much in the last 24 hours, so I think I am ready. Plus, I really have to since there are so many things to file - sick leaves, medical reimbursement, insurance, etc. I slept from 11 am and woke up at 6 pm thinking its the morning already. Watched some TV, heard about Jasmine being voted out of American Idol, played with my niece, ate some ice cream and the new-buffalo wings inspired chicken of McDo, read Cosmo and Entrepreneur then slept again around 10pm. Woke up at 3am and haven't slept again since. I totally missed Paul's Surprise Despedida Party at Lee's Place. I asked my dad to bring me but I think I can't be back at the social scene just yet. :(

Oh! It's evaluation time once again. Olen told me that management will announce today all movements, prmotions, changes, etc. Well, as if! Weng texted me yesterday and asked how am I doing. He's also anxious on the result of the evaluation because of his impending transfer to Honda Riding School. Well, we'll see about that. This will be fun.

:: TEN THINGS YOU KNOW ABOUT ME ::

10 SONGS YOU’RE CURRENTLY ADDICTED TO:
10) Will & Anna
9) The Reason
8) Highways of My Life
7) Stitches & Burn
6) Because of You
5) Through The Fire
4) Wonderful Journey
3) Rapture
2) All My Life
1) When I Met You

9 THINGS THAT CURRENTLY MAKE YOU HAPPY:
9) Blogging
8) Interviews and being invited to job interviews
7) Bonding with friends
6) Playing with Gabbie and spending time with my family
5) Getting text messages
4) Mighty Fridays
3) Being pampered and babied
2) NOT going to work and sleeping all day
1) ALWAYS on-line

8 THINGS YOU DO DAILY:
8) Text
7) Eat twice a day (tops!)
6) Internet (YM, job-hunt online, blog)
5) Read anything
4) Shower
3) Sleep
2) Pray
1) Play with Gabbie

7 THINGS/PEOPLE THAT ANNOY YOU:
7) Narrow-minded people who are stuck in their comfort zones
6) People who lives and breathe work who doesn't care about anything else
5) People who live to bitch around other people
4) TOO dependent people
3) My injury
2) My lack of independence these days due to my finger injury
1) "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" What?! G o figure!

6 THINGS YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO:
6) June 11 - My last day at HCPI
5) New job. New career. Wherever it may be.
4) Possible future lovelife? Hah! Asa pa!
3) Fat, fat, fat paycheck
2) Travelling in September
1) Gimmicks with the gang

5 THINGS YOU'RE SCARED OF:
5) My second surgery in three weeks and my reconstructive surgery after
4) The feel and look of my right ring finger after three weeks
3) The NEXT company
2) My last days in HCPI
1) THAT thing I hate since childhood

4 PEOPLE YOU’D LIKE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH:
4) HCP Friends
3) Kat and my other Assumption friends
2) Mighty Friends and CowpComGals
1) Forces of Nature pals - Aileen, Ivy, Tin, Charo, Mitzi, Jamie, She

3 MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN:
3) Notting Hill
2) American President
1) How To Loose A Guy In 10 Days

2 SPECIAL MOMENTS:
2) Still waiting...
1) 08.12.1978

1 PERSON YOU WANT TO SPEND YOUR LIFE WITH:

As if!

:: BOUNCING BACK ::

After five (5) days of being pampered and 'babied', I went back to reality today. The first sign of my 'bouncing back' is the early morning calls I got from Rache (my soon-to-be ex boss) and Mark (our tour operator). They are on their way to Cebu for the long-delayed CRD Incentive Trip when they rang (Who cares about my recovering injured finger?! Work is work --- well, that's Honda for you!). I was the one who made the proposal and all the arrangements for the trip (in purple-pink background color to boot!). I was supposed to come and accompany the 27 dealer associates to exciting Shang Mactan but I filed my resignation before the trip, so dyahe naman if I will still go, diba? Apparently, the calls were about the ten (10) participants who were left behind at the NAIA2. Geez! Well, what's that? As if I can do anything! Anyway, from 8:00 am until 9:00 pm they did nothing but bombard my cell with inquiries, arrangements, complaints that are so so petty and trivial! All of 'em! Even the dealer-associates!

> Is the cheque for Shangri-La Mactan ready?
> Is the cheque for CNM Travels ready since Cholo is now on his way to Sta. Rosa.
> Where is the greener pasture you are going to? How about Lee?
> Where is the director's chair that I won? Geez! This was last year! Whathappened?!
> This is one of the best: Are there changes in the itinerary? Since Mark is not following what I've given to the dealers! Ah eh, baket kaya hindi na lang sila mag-usap ni Mark? Since they are BOTH in Cebu and I am lying in my bed sleeping?!
> Cebu is fun! It would be better if you are here!
> Abs, why are the incidentals going to be charged to us?
> I will mishu! No taking back of that resignation?
> Eww! Biatch talaga! I simply agree! Truly a b-e-e-yatch!
> Abbie, hindi daw sasagutin ni Mark yung gimmick tomorrow?
> Abbie, don't worry I will not let your group down! Good, good!

Ahhh! Whatev! LABO ha! Anyway, there's still a tiny-itsie-bitsie part of me that wish that I am there now in sunny Cebu rather than here in rainy ol' Laguna. Speaking of which, I just realized that I've never been on a real vacation this summer. With all the fuss on my resignation, job hunt and injury, I've never been out in the sun this year. I'm supposed to join the Mightys in Bataan last Saturday but the freakin' accident prevented me. How I long for La Boracay! :)

~*oOo*~

THE HUNT
Bouncing back means going back to the hunt again. I had three interview sched for today but I only showed up for one. Yeah, make the most out of my sick leave! The first and second company is for a Marketing Officer job. Tne first is for a big multi-national that is Chinese-owned while the second is in disguise through a headhunter. (I am not a believer of headhunting firms until Kelly got into BMW through one. Hah!) The last company, the one I went to this evening is....*secret* I am not going to tell this one YET until I have something concrete and definite. Let's hope that this one will materialize.

Oh! If there's one thing that I'm quite dependent these days, its transportation. My mom and dad were kind enough to bring me to and from the interview site since it's so so so hard for me! I can't even bring my portfolio case on one hand and at the same time talk on my cellphone using the other hand! We had a quick dinner at Yoshinoya after my interview and I must admit that the food is ooh-lala! Try their beef bowl, iced green tea and potato salad. The only downside? Heart Evangelista as endorser! Sorry to all Heart followers out there...but gimme a break! Her again?!

~*oOo*~

^RANDOM STUFF & NEW FINDS^

What was Aileen thinking? :)


Mutual Admiration Club, anyone?
I was also the one who nominated her for the same 'honor and award'.

Time for a new phone?
I am truly loyal to my trusty Nokia 3650 but I am having so many incovenience with its battery life and charging these days. Can I just buy another one like it? Pathetic. How about its 3660 brother like Dansel's and Paul's? Actually, I'm kindda amused with the kikay Nokia 7200 (Nokia's first-ever flip phone). The letdown? No bluetooth! Whataretheythinking?! How about Sony Ericsson?! NO WAY! Not this time, sistah.

New Mags - Must Have!
Cosmopolitan 7th Year Issue with Mylene Dizon as cover (May 2004)
So many nice stuff! Buy your copy now! :) I will share some if I have the time.

Entrepreneurship (May 2004)
Nice topics! From cyberspace legal isssues to setting up your biz for only 50 grand.

:: FRAGMENTS OF MY LIFE ::

I dunno if I have to write about the recent events that happened in my life (since this is supposed to be an emotionless and fun blog, right?). But, what the heck, this might be part of my healing process...so here goes...

Last Friday while I was editing this very blog, I got into a freak accident involving my right hand. It got jammed in my brother's room door and the sudden impact caused 1/4 of my right ring finger to be cut off from the rest of me. So, I am only 98.9% complete these days (as Weng and Bim kiddingly puts it). It's such a tragedy and I never asked so many WHYs in my entire lifetime than that fateful night.

I felt that my life crumbled in a blink of an eye. What will happened to my dreams? Can I function without the tip of my right ring finger? WHY? Can I type or write? How about navigating the mouse? Can I ever experience my mouse's "right-click" again? Will I ever get married? Can you seriously consider marrying me without my right ring finger? Can I ever play volleyball or badminton again? How about my notoriously nice Assumption handwritting that is so good even on tamad moments? What about my Honda resignation? My pending applications?! WHY NOW?! WHY!?

At around 8:00 am last Saturday, May 15, I got my first ever dose of anaesthesia as they prepare for my 1st surgery. The operation lasted for almost two (2) hours and I recall having a lot of queasy feeling after. So many friends, relatives and visitors came to visit in the hospital. The first night were mostly cousins and aunts from my mom's side of the family, followed by friends from PREX and the church. Olen, Bim, Lee, Kaye and She also went to visit last night after I was discharged from the hospital. I also received so many texts and emails of well-wishes from friends and even mere acquaintances.

The complete healing process will be after another surgery to be scheduled after three weeks. I am currently sporting a bandaged right hand with only three fingers exposed (the pinkie has to support the damaged one). A possible reconstructive surgery is to be scheduled after the 2nd operation since my kikay mom (and her equally kikay sisters) will not allow their precious to be less that complete no matter what it takes. More than anything else, I think they are going to do it for my own sanity. I'm usually level-headed with a good sense of humor who sees the good even at bad times. But, honestly, what recently happened is no laughing matter. I am downplaying everything but I am still afraid of the effects that it will bring to me. I'm not in trauma nor having ugly dreams and nightmares but I am having irregularities in sleep again. The WHYs have stopped and I've somehow accepted the situation BUT there's still a tiny voice that pleads to HIM of wanting my life back.

MOM & DAD
Now, more than ever...THANKS, THANKS, THANKS! :) Thanks for being my source of strength these days.



My finger incident, though tragic, is only the tip of the iceberg. Not wanting to mull over my sad fate, I began my application again to several companies (despite my earlier promise of going lie-low until after the effectivity of my resignation). I drafted two (2) follow-up e-mails to my 1st and 2nd "targets". I know that TODAY will be the day of days when I will know the verdict of "my future career". True enough, Rina called around 3:10 pm through my cellphone. I immediately recognized the phone number and prepared for the worse. As soon as I heard her voice, I know that I did not get in. There's a somewhat sad tone in her that makes me want to say: "Okay, okay, I got it! Goodbye!". So, there...it's now OUT: I was not accepted at Sony. Who knows why! Except for that all-important panel interview, I knew I was at my best throughout my application. But I guess there are just some things that are not meant to be. I've invested a lot of time, effort, studying and researching for that application and until know it really bothers me why I was not accepted (read: more bothered than my accident). Well, I think its a matter of being at the right moment at the right time. My "all-out" vindication may not be that one. Oh! In case you are wondering, the position is for Ad & Promo Supervisor (read: hahahaha!) and the girl who got in was the third candidate (read again: not MM) that I never knew anything about. So I guess I have to say goodbye to those Clies, Vaios and T10s.

For my 2nd target, you dunno anything about that so enough kwento on that one. Basta they chose another person for the position. Which is actually quite okay since just thinking about what the job entails makes me tired. The only good thing about it is the moolah! Hah! It's actually a blessing in disguise.

Another recent disappointment is the lost of Weng (Oh Emman! There goes our contracts!) and Cleng's uncle in the gubernatorial race here in Laguna. Hay, money talks talaga. My friend, Marvin also placed no. 9 in the recent poll for councilor here in Cabuyao. So, sayang...almost but not quite. Hang in there, friend!



Oh oh! Pity me not since my grand plan actually did materialized! I said to myself that I am giving myself a month to look and search for a job in a month's time. Deadline is May 12. Well, last May 12, after my all-famous Sony panel interview, I did receive an offer from another company in Alabang as Business Development Officer. The pay is quite good and I can still negotiate for a higher figure, flexi-time, its up and coming since it is involved in the milkcow called telecommunications and the boss is really really bright (read: far, far, far cry from my former! haha!). But of course, there are trade-offs that I should think about. I am set to give my answer on the 28th whether I will take it or not.

God really does work in mysterious way. Before I learned about the Sony brouhaha, I received a call from another employer that somehow fits the bill of what I really wanted since. I've always wanted to do Brand & Product Marketing in a consumer company since college. I applied to several but did not get any replies since my experience is more in below-the-line ad, advertising and events. It was truly a surprised when I got a call from the HR Manager of this company (read: a huge conglomerate I truly truly truly like) and asked for an interview tomorrow. The job is good, the title is so impressive, the company is THE ONE but but but I will be based in Cebu! Huh?! WHY NOT? I am single, THEY (the who?) can wait if they truly care, I do want change, Cebu is cool and exciting...so WHY NOT? Upon further inquiry, I learned that it will just be Cebu-based but will require a lot of travelling throughout VisMin and Mandaluyong where the headoffice is! Whoa, coolness! The question? Is this for me?! After the Sony incident, seems like I don't want to go through all the hassles of applying again this soon...more later!



MISERY LOVES COMPANY
There's only one person I know who's more in pain (emotionally) than me these days. Its too early to tell but I love the texts I am receiving. *wink*

Oh! To my one great love who's OUT there who might be reading this...I am not kidding about the therapy requirement that I will need. Pack your bags and go home...OR I will just take dad's offer and have the reconstructive surgery there. Beats me.



In case you are wondering, it's my left hand who's doing the typing and all the "mousing". My right pointing finger helps a bit with the typing.

**Side Note** To my other blog's followers: I am currently reconstructing the background. The CSS files has gone haywire, thanks to Angelfire. I'm looking at other templates and will do some uploading as soon as my hand is a bit better. I also transferred some post here that are somewhat harmless. : )

Today I will delete from my diary
two days: yesterday and tomorrow
Yesterday was to learn and
tomorrow will be the consequence
of what I can do today.

Today I will face life
with the conviction that this day
will not ever return.

Today is the last opportunity
I have to live intensely,
as no one can assure me
that I will see tomorrow's sunrise.

Today I will be brave enough
not to let any opportunity pass me by,
my only alternative is to succeed.

Today I will invest my most valuable resource:
my time,
in the most transcendental work:
my life.

I will spend each minute
passionately to make
of today a different
and unique day in my life.

Today I will defy every obstacle
that appears on my way trusting
I will succeed.

Today I will resist
pessimism and will conquer
the world with a smile,
with the positive attitude
of expecting always the best.

Today I will make of every ordinary task
a sublime expression,

Today I will have my feet on the ground
understanding reality
and the stars' gaze
to invent my future.

Today I will take the time to be happy
and will leave my footprints and my presence
in the hearts of others.

Today, I invite you to begin a new season
where we can dream
that everything we undertake is possible
and we fulfil it,
with joy and dignity.

{SMILE} Have a good day and a better one tomorrow!


~*oOo*~

The above lines were meaningless last week when I forwarded it to my personal e-mail from my work mail. Now, those are words to live by. God really does work in mysterious ways. Thanks Lucille for sharing it to me! CARPE DIEM!

:: LONG GOODBYE ::

The REAL countdown to my "Honda Goodbye!" has begun.

I spent almost five (5) hours of H2H (heart to heart) with my manager this evening. It was really nice to unload your feelings to somebody who understands where you are coming from. As I told her, be happy for me and for the opportunities that will come my way (it's not even a question if I will stay if given a better offer since I honestly told her that it is MY road to happiness and I want her to be happy - even proud - for me). My loyalty to Honda is unparelled and it will stay that way for quite some time. I even told her that transferring to a competitor may not be an option even if their offer is HARD (Hello "F Word!") to resist since I can't picture myself without my precious Honda. It's such pity that saying goodbye is the one that gave to us the opportunity to seat down and talk like old friends.

Who's the real biatch?! Well, I'll give you two guesses! : )



HELLO NOW!

As for my "target" company...it's more than 24 hours since the panel and I haven't received any call yet. It was nerve-wracking and I stilll dunno how did I fare. HR told me that they will let me know around 4pm yesterday but the girl in charge texted meand told me that she hasn't received any news yet (but promised to get in touch before lunch yesterday). I was really nervy and I kept on thinking about it. Lunch came and I still haven't heard anything from them. I texted Rina, the one from HR, and inquired about it, but she did not text back. I called around 5pm and casually asked if she got news but she told me that they haven't actually evaluated anybody yet since they are busy with the yearly deliberations with their employees. So, I dunno if its good news or bad news. How do you classify "no news" anyway? For one, I can still "live with the dream" until tomorrow, right? One consolation though, Rina told me than the panel interview is really a toughie for everyone. Since they started having panel with Shioda-san and Umeyama-san, feedback has been quite the same - it's indeed "hard". So, basically...there's still hope! Everyone is not expected to answer correctly the questions being asked by them. MM even called me up after her interview and told me that she's not comfortable by the way her interview went.



BLOGGY THAAANG!
What are you seeing? Are you seeing an all-white background with Times New Romas as font?! If yes...UGH! My css file and tile images are all hosted at Angelfire (good thing I transferred 'the girl' up there at Photobucket just in time) and its crackin' up! Aileen did warn me last Saturday but I did not listen! Grrr! To top it all...my DSL connection also conked out. I'm currently using PLDT Vibe dial-up which is supposed to be good...NOT! On my pre-broadband days, the vibe connection is quite fast...dunno what's happening now! Grrr! Anyway, I'll try to re-upload the css files at Geocities and hopefully the brown-beige background will be up in no time. :)



GRACIAS!

The recent events of my life showed me (again) how my friends value me and my friendship : ) I would like to say THANKS to Kat, Olen, Aileen, Lee, Louie, She, Kaye, Dans, Cols, Bugs, Ygy and Reg for your never-ending support and prayers. I really really really hope that I can make it.

::: Despair, DESPAIR , despair...::

What am I going to tell them if they ask me what's a WEGA and an HDTV?

a. Go figure!
b. Duh?! Who cares? Can you just ask me something simple like - What is VTEC? Or CVT?
c. Errr...I am sorry...I dunno. It's not in the BLOG I went to last night!

Grrr! I can't stop blogging! I can but I can't...its my "diversion tactic"! I should be browsing the Sony page YET I am here reading some Singaporean girl's blogsite. It's already 4:12 am and I am still wide awake with an empty notepad beside me. I've already turned-off the lights for me to concentrate and to give my room a more subdued effect. I can't believe I am going to work tomorrow! Damns! Can you believe that? I haven't planned my escape route yet. HOW?! This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I cannot let Honda ruin it for me. NOT THIS TIME!

I'm going to grab some soda in the ref.
Oh! To answer the above-question...HDTV stands for High-Definition TV while WEGA is the advanced digital flat-screens. : )

P.S.
I can't believe what I saw while browsing the Sony site earlier! *horrors* Their ex-A&P Supervisor has this picture during the unveiling of the new range of Sony Plasma Wega products at Greenbelt 3 and she is uber-sexy and sexily dressed! Geez! I can't believe it! I thought she's a model. Is that a requirement? Awww! I think I could use that soda.

:: SHOWER THE HEAVEN WITH PRAYERS ::

Storm the Heaven with prayers! I actually got that line from Ygy's blog (Thanks Ygs!). Seems like so many people are in need of divine intervention these days. *wink* I am so nervy for tomorrow's interview that's why I cannot sleep (or is it because of the never-ending dilemma with the freakin' background music of this blog?).

To somehow prepare for tomorrow's showdown, I asked Bestfriend Kat's expert advice on the How To's and What's Not in Advertising and Integrated Marketing Communication (yeah, that's the new trend, baby!). I also had a crash course with the long-forgotten ATL lingo (of course there are some good ol' chika on the side). Well, its been months since the last time I've seen her and my other Assumption friends. Soooooon, I'll be back! :)

~*oOo*~

WILL & ANNA
I love musical scores! What you are hearing right now is the best there is (in my opinion anyway)! It was the one used in my all-time favorite movie Notting Hill. The name of the song/score is Will & Anna by Trevor Jones. The title was inspired from the names of the characters that were played by Hugh and Julia.


~*oOo*~

Aileen did the weirdest thing! Huuwaat?! Another diversion tactic? NAH! Weirder than that! *LOL* (Kidding, girl) She nominated my blog site, >THIS blog site to that Philippine Weblog Awards thingy! You've got to be kidding! Haha! Thanks Gurl!

:: *PANIC MODE* ::

Ohno!Ohno! Twenty-nine (29) hours to go before "the judgement hour"! I beg each and everyone who's reading my blog to pray for me to MAKE IT! Awww! I can't study, I can't plan...and I can't even THINK! Oooohh! What will happened tomorrow? It will be ME and ME ALONE who will face 'em. Prayer is my only weapon. I've given so much already and I dunno if I still have any "surprises" left for them. I hope that all my good karma will be with me tomorrow.

To make things more panicky than usual, I have to go to work tomorrow since MR have to present something to Mr. Takano (read: I have to make part of the presentation). I cannot say NO, so I have no choice but be there. Awww!

~*oOo*~

THE HIGHWAYS OF MY LIFE
Can you hear it? My background music is a classic favorite of mine - The Highways of My Life. It's supposed to be the musical score of Notting Hill but I already reached my max upload in ripway. By the way, anyone among here knows any free hosting site for my MP3's?

:: THE VOTE THAT WAS ::

Pardon if I have to make another political post but I just can't resist - with everyone around me so into it. My mom and dad just got here from my Tita's house to "check on things" (read: if we are winning). Well, my uncle who's running for Councilor is a shoo-in for the #1 or #2 slot, but the brother-in-law of my tita who's running for Governor of Laguna is still unsure.

Election Day is so bloody. So, I've heard. The guns, goons and golds are back! HAY! I dunno what is happening! The Philippines is really something. *sigh*

I voted around 1pm yesterday with the whole family (except for Dad since he voted earlier, but he still accompanied us in the precinct), even Little Gabbie went with us. She sat beside me with her own pen and paper as if she's voting. She also brought her pink pouch with my uncle's campaign fliers. Aba, balak pa mangampanya! Reminds me of me (I started campaigning for my Tito at age 9!). Here are some bits and pieces of the vote that was:

~ I have so many blanks = VP, 5 Senators, Mayor and a handful of Councilors.

~ VP - Loren was my choice but when she allied with FPJ...no way! She has great ideals but she's TOO ambitious for words. Enough said.

~ Senators - With the exception of Mr. Palengke, Mar Roxas, I made the decision of voting the other six (6) senators just this morning. A quick run-through of their profile made me decide who to vote and not to vote. My list included: Dick Gordon, Bobby Barbers and Rodolfo Biazon. Other senatoriables who I voted for like Pia Cayetano and Heherson Alvarez were requested by mom and dad. I guess the desired effect of the "Maalaala Mo Kaya" life story of Companero Rene last Thursday was achieved since Pia is running at the #6 slot (despite the fact that she never made it to the top of any of the SWS surveys) at the partial and unofficial count. If you are intently reading this post and realized that I only gave six names (whereas I said I voted for seven senators), well, let's just say that the 7th name will remain a secret since I'm still unsure if I did the right thing in voting for him.

~ Mayor - There are three (3) mayoralty candidates here in Cabuyao - the wife of the incumbent mayor and two siblings who took their "sibling rivalry" to the limits by running against each other. If there's anyone from Cabuyao (or from my OC political clan) who's reading this, despair not! This was a personal choice. The whole family except for yours truly voted for someone...however, I will not tell WHO!

~ NO single votes for moi (for councilor). A single vote is one of the most controversial type of vote there is. It's one of the strategies that can elect a candidate to a post - especially in our 'all-for-one-one-for-all-clannish town. A single vote automatically denies several votes to the other candidates.

THE INDELIBLE INK

One of Comelec's counter-measure to the expected massive cheating and flying voters is the use of a stronger indelible ink.


Awwww! I can't remove it!

True enough, it's indeed strong! Well, mine that is. After numerous liquid soap washing...I still have it! :( I heard Bill Luz, Namfrel's head honcho, said that it's actually a case to case basis. Some rubs off immediately while others really do stays in your index finger for a long time! Aaarrgh!

~*oOo~

THE SONY LIFE

Though temporarily distracted by the election, I still have this nagging feeling for Wednesday! It will definitely be the DAY of DAYS. I just hope that I will pass in flying colors. Lord, please help me!

:: ROCK, ROCK, ROCK MY VOTE! ::

Less than an hour from now and the voting precincts will open to usher the millions of Filipinos who'll decide who'll their next leaders will be - from President up to the eight (8) councilors. Coming from a heavy politicized clan here in Cabuyao, Laguna, I've been exposed to so many political norms, campaigns, election strategies all my life. My lolo (mum's dad) was Vice Mayor during his time, though I believe that the fanfare started during my great-Grandfather's post as Cabeza. My lolo became a sensational politico because he was killed while serving in office. It was an assasination for some land deals gone haywire that is not even politics-related (but that is an entirely different topic fo posting).

The political tradition lives on when mom's older brother pursued a career in public office - from Councilor to Vice Mayor then back to Councilor. Another brother went joined him and some nephews eventually followed suit...you get the picture. Our clan is so-so huge and so into politics that majority of the candidates listed in the current Official Candidates List that I chanced upon at the Comelec site last night has similar surnames (or middle names) as mine. As I write these thoughts, I haven't even filled-up my "to vote list". Local politics is really different! Don't expect that machinery, wits or platform of governance (or sometimes even money) will work here. It's the kamag-anak factor that does the trick. Sad but true.

Inter-marriages in political families is also quite popular. Mom's sister married the son of the then governor of Laguna (who now has a son who's also running for the same post). Even I was not spared from all of these since my relatives are currently and constantly "teasing" me to two guys who are both running for Councilors who happened to be my classmates in Kindergarten (though they kep on texting me these days with those flowery forwarded messages)! Geeesh! Both guys are "in-training" for greater political heights in the future, since like moi, they also came from a crazy clan who are all going ga-ga over politics.

Enough of that. On the National level...it's all about CONVICTION for me. I will definitely vote for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo despite and inspite of everything. I cannot write here all my reasons WHY I will vote for her (since this is a highly debatable issue, but this is MY BLOG anyway, I can write all I want) GMA really STRUCK me ever since. I've been with her all THE time. I voted for her when she ran for Senate and VP and I was all-out for her during the "party" that was EDSA2. Is it the Assumptionist in me? The woman in me? The high-temperament that we both have? I dunno exactly and I really can't tell. I'm voting for her because I BELIEVE. I'm voting for her JUST BECAUSE....

GMA u ROCK!



ME is surprised...but guess what is my current favorite song? :)

THE REASON
by Hoobastank

i'm not a perfect person, there's many things i wish i didn't do
but i continue learning. i never meant to do those things to you
and so i have to say before i go, that i just want you to know

i found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you

i'm sorry that i hurt you, its something i must live with everyday
and all the pain i put you through, i wish that i could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears, thats why i need you to hear

i found a reason for me, to change who i used to be.
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you.

i'm not a perfect person, i never meant to do those things to you
and so i have to say before i go, that i just want you to know

i've found a reason for me, to change who i used to be
a reason to start over new, and the reason is you
i've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know
a reason for all that i do, and that reason is you



:: SHOWBIZ BLOG ::

While I was blog-hopping this morning, I chance upon a young local actress' blog and was quite surprised to find it really really sensible. The actress is still young but she has intelligent ways in dealing with issues (and I don't mean showbiz issues, her friends, cellphone problems and lovelife). She posted REAL ISSUES! She wrote several pieces on politics, the Philippines' current economic situation, the exchange rate, poltics and even the environment. After I read her blog, I admit that she changed me --- well, the way I see her that is. Heck, her posts are even more serious than mine 'no! *LOL* So, to you, miss lil actress! Knock 'em dead!

:: SURVEY (AGAIN) ::

1. Your name spelled backwards?
EIBBA / ANNA (coolness!)

2. Where were your parents born?
Mom was born in Biñan while dad was born in San Pablo. Both in Laguna.

3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer?
Dawson's Creek Season 2, Episode 2 and Nokia 3650 PC Suite

4. Last time you swam in a pool?
Sheesh, can't recall! I'm so ANTI-swimming these days. In Bora last year?! Nooo, it cannot be THAT long ago!

5. Have you ever been in a school play?
Yep, loads of time.

6. How many kids do you want? Two (2) or Four (4)

7. Type of music you dislike most? Metal, Reggae

8. Are you registered to vote? Yep.

9. Do you have cable? Yeah.

10. Have you ever ridden on a moped? Nopes

11. Ever prank call anybody? Haha! Sure, did!

12. Ever get a parking ticket? Na-da

13. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? Sky-diving!!! Such thrill!

15. Do you have a garden? Mom has a garden

16. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem?
I know how to sing it but writing it down is a different thing. I remember having an exam on that one in highschool during Music Class. Aaarrgh! So, damn hard! Try it!

17. Bath or Shower, morning or night?
Both. On really hot days...even thrice.

18. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Love Actually (it's only semi-nice)

19. Favorite pizza topping/s? I don't eat pizza

20. Chips or popcorn? Chips

21. What color lipstick do you usually wear? Nude, Light Pink

22. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? Nope

23. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?
Haha! Does the funny rite of passage Bb. AC Dorm Kapatiran counts? How about those icky prom shindigs back in highschool where they pick people right on spot and ask them stupid questions on how can they make the world a better place to live in? I'm uber-guilty on both accounts. But, geez, I won that "Bb. Dorm" pageant fairly and squarely ha! Haha!

24. Orange Juice or apple? Orange Juice

25. Who was the last person you went out on a date with? BBM last December, I think. I've given up on guys and dating!

26. Favorite type of chocolate bar?
Dark chocolate! But I have this certain fixation for that pink Cadburry chocolate these days.

27. When was the last time you voted at the polls?
Last Barangay Elections. 2002, right?

28. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? What?!

29. Have you ever won a trophy? Yeppers

30. Are you a good cook? Pasta-cooking ONLY (for now)

31. Ever order an article from an infomercial? Nope

32. Sprite or 7-up? COKE is it!

33. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work?
Yes! In Honda, we are required to wear white straightjacket shirtjacks and pants.

34. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy?
Cadburry Pinkie

35. Ever thrown up in public?
Nope. But I do recall throwing up on the last Sampaguita Rally at Pagsanjan while navigating for our team. I was too nauseous with all the twists and turns while computing for our time! MJ and Vic were with me at the car and they were both surprised on what happened since I did not give any warning. The public thing that I did was when I threw the "evidence" outside the window at the rolling hills of Rizal. *LOL*

36. Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?
Tough choice. Nevertheless, I will still choose the latter.

37. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Nope. LIKE at first sight? Yes. But LOVE?! It will take more than one meeting to fall...

38. Can exes be friends? No

39. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital?
Hmmm? Can't recall. I hate hospitals.

40. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby?
Nope. My mom has to shaved it off TWICE for it to be makapal. How ironic!

41. What message is on your answering machine? huh?

42. What was the name of your first pet?
Giorgio (taken from Giorgio Armani)

43. What is in your room?
Bed. PC. Two Closets. One Vanity Dresser. Two Bookshelves. Random Garbage.

44. Favorite thing to do before bedtime?
What bedtime?! Tinkering in my PC, blog, email, messageboarding, text, call people, saying goodnight, arrange outfits for morning work, pray, daydream

45. What is one thing you are grateful for today? No work.

46. What do you think about internet surveys?
Spam. Cookie setting. More spyware in your PC.

:: RAINY DAYS ::

It's raining again.
I used to love rainy days and the promise it brings.
I remember so many late afternoons strolling along Greenbelt 3 while its pouring outside.
I remember so many stormy evenings with Starbucks in hand along Alfaro.
Memories of those nights still gives me a warm, fuzzy and comforting feeling.

It's been months since I left Alfaro.
Awww, I so miss it!

I don't want run away but I can't take it, I don't understand...

^GOODIES & NEW FINDS^
My Bluetooth Dongle
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Coke from China (Thanks Tin!)
W.Bloggar
Cosmopolitan May 2004 Julia Stiles Issue
Alabang Handy City Pages
New Mules
Cool Notebook

I was reading through my e-mail and found this biblical passage from Patty:

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
The road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called Failure,
a loop called Confusion,
speed bumps called Friends,
red lights called Enemies,
caution lights called Family.
You will have flats called Jobs.
But, if you have a spare called DETERMINATION,
an engine called Perseverance,
insurance called Faith, a
driver called JESUS, you will
make it to a place called Success.

Phillip 4:13

:: NEW LOOK ::

Yep! You are on the RIGHT page! I've been desperately looking for the best customizable blog skin and I found THIS. Anyway, there's a DOWNSIDE...no tagboard for the meantime until I get it right. Haaay!

Hunt Update: Panel interview for Company #1 on Wednesday. Geez, I'm super nervy!

Blogging Friends,
This is soooo cool....CLICK ON THE LINK and TRY IT! It's the tamad way of blogging! Posting and publishing is such a quickie! Thanks BLOGGAR!

:: NEWLY-RESIGNED PLAN OF ACTION ::
Nuninuninuninu...

There are so many things that a newly-resigned associate must do to ensure that 1) all things are taken care of, 2) all bases are covered, 3) nobody is raging mad and 4) things will go on as planned.

The first three concerns above are basically for good ol' Honda. Whatever! The reason why I can't fully experience the joy of being Honda-free is because I have so many things to do before I can actually bid them Sayonara. Since my resignation is quite unplanned, there are so many responsibilities that were assigned to me that I have to fulfill. Good thing I filed Wednesday. If I waited for another week to file as what was previously planned - May 7/13 - for sure I wouldn't be able to do it since there will be numerous stuff assigned to me by then. That bad.

The fourth and the last concern is actually for my "future undertaking". I have another job interview this afternoon for my "target company". I hope and pray that I would get in since the job seems really for me. It all fell into places. For the occassion, I "studied" last night through their website. I familiarized myself to their many products and even browsed through their news archives for things that would be able to help me later.

:: WHAT THE...? ::
Wait, wait, wait...!

The text, e-mail, and YM messages started Friday afternoon.

Friends, relatives, colleagues and acquiantances began asking about my resignation. Most of them cannot believe that I actually resigned. Huh? WHY?! Am I really TOO loyal at that esteemed institution? Is my love for Honda THAT obvious to everyone I know? Wait a minute!

I know I did the right thing! Heck, that's probably the most gutsy-independent-wise thing I've ever did in my entire adult life (and it tops breaking up with...but that's another story). Anyway, even if I know that what I did is 100% RIGHT, I still cannot help but be wary why my friends (even my super,super,super close friends) is somehow NOT in total agreement with my "voluntary separation" from Honda. It became worse when I told them that I don't have anydefinite and solid plans after the 28th. Oh well.

So, to destress and reward myself for the grueling week that I just had, I went to ATC and indulge into two hours of Thai Massage! Wowww! : )

Anyway, anyway, here are some of the reactions I got. Some are kakainis, some are so-so-so and some are downright cute!

Huh?! Bkit?
OMIGOSH!!!
Welcome(now) OFFICIAL MIGHTY EIGHT!
ah...wats wrong with Honda? Bkt lahat yata kayo?
Give them at least 30-40% higher of your current.
Ay naku Bry, tigilan mo na yang pagsesenti mo. Be thankful you've finally ended your 5 years of misery.
Eh ano kung hindi ka nya like, hindi mo naman sya market ah!
ei, wats the chika? : )
ano k b naman naisip mo pa yan kung kailan aalis ka na. dont think abt that.
ic. so, wats the chika?
wt chika? online ka ba?
oy sobra na yan ha!
Abbie, thanks for doing so much for HCPI and HCP! I'm quite sure this won't be farewell to the club as well... unless you're moving to a competitor hehe or baka you're really getting married na and you're not admitting it.
Ano may Jazz nga ba? M/T 2.0 Civic? ano pa hehe? Goodluck!
not as much as you do my dear abbie. i know you love honda. but theres really something wrong right now. your resignation ang kinakatakot ko of all. more than _____.
well i hope u have enuf money saved to last u while ure not starting a new job yet
Anyway best of luck on your new career move Be safe always Abbie
abbie!.. san ka na?.. dun na ba sa isa sa mga tinext mo sa akin??
Gudluck Abbie! Tnx for everything!!! Si Weng, resign na rin??? hehehe
watever ur plans are...remember...SUPORTAHAN TAKA.. (taka or daka?? anyways, gets mo na un!heheh...tama ba nasabi ko??
Ey labo, ngayon lang ako d nalabuan syo!! (I can see clearly now. . ) WELCOME!!! Talagang pinanindigan mo yung Crazy 8!!!Pero mas maganda talaga kung blurry 8 n lang gamitin mo!
but since u'r jobhunting na.....why should the 'galit' affect u dba? tiis na lang sana hehehehe
Wow! And then there were 8! Another one bites the dust...
so u have job offers na ba that ure thinkin of taking?

But this is still THE BEST:

ANO 'TO?!
That was my superior's reaction when I handed her my "unexpected" resignation letter! Exercise pala ha! Gotcha, baby!

Want to react? TAG me! *wink*

:: THE ART OF RESIGNATION ::
Nothing beats the first...

There are so many things that I want to write since the day I filed. So many thoughts to ponder on, so many things to consider and so many confused and mixed feelings.

The Resignation
If you ask me if it was an impulsive move, YES it was! Until now I haven't fully absorbed that a month from now, I will no longer be a part of the once exciting yet challenging HCPI. However, the decision to resign was not impulsive. In fact, it was long-delayed already. I've been contemplating for a year now. I recall certain incidents a year ago where I asked friends for job recommendation and leads. But things are still raw last year, so plans were put on hold for the meantime.

The second wave of my urge to resign was last September when I suddenly became "out of it". I blamed it to quarter-life crisis and all those crap, but I now know fully well what happened that time. Screwed is definitely an understatement. If you are a reader of my other blog, you will know why and what. Anyway, the plan was aborted yet again because Rache gave me and Lee trunkloads of work for the CR-V 4WD launch. Though, I attended interviews for the now-revealed attempt to get into Honda Cars Makati (as if hindi alam ng mga tao yon 'no) as Imee's replacement for Marketing Services Officer and some bank's Marketing position, I still stayed and remained faithful with HCPI. The bank kept on calling and offering until January but I stood ground and refused. The HCMI job is another story. I like it and it wil be a good career move if it was offered to me. However, though qualified, HCMI management doesn't want to cross with HCPI if they get me. Huh?! Screw that.

As we prepare for the transfer to Sta. Rosa last December, I knew it within me that I will not last long. I was happy since I'm moving back to my parents house and will be reconnected to my old girly room. I will definitely miss my Alfaro Nights but I welcome the change. As I think about the our last Christmas Party at AAV, I can't help but be sad since that was the last time we were all together. Clod and Voltz were still with us then, and so is Carvajal, Jonas and Marantan. The end is definitely near.


Christmas Party of 2003 @ Takano-san's AAV abode

This is waaaay TOO intense! To be continued...